Syracuse University campus community members and some city residents gathered Thursday night to honor victims of Hurricane Maria and an earthquake that struck Mexico in September, killing more than 300 people.

A candlelight vigil, held at Hendricks Chapel at 7 p.m. on Thursday, was sponsored by SU’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

About 80 percent of Puerto Rico’s population still has no electricity, per The New York Times, four weeks after Maria struck the island. In Mexico City, thousands of residents are displaced, unable to return to the buildings damaged in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

Mario Montesdeoca, an adviser for SHPE, was recently visited by a Puerto Rican student concerned about their family on the island, he said. After that meeting, Montesdeoca, a vigil organizer, realized other students also needed an outlet for their emotions, he said. Montesdeoca is a lab manager at Link Hall. 

Organizers wanted Puerto Rican and Mexican students to feel comfortable, said Francis Marinez, a senior bioengineering major and president of SHPE.

“Knowing the Hispanic voice on campus, we wanted to create an event for students whose families were affected,” Marinez said.

Before the vigil started, students gathered to receive candles. Baptist Chaplain Devon Bartholomew recalled his struggles trying to contact a friend from Puerto Rico. He then offered a prayer.

Miguel Perez, a Syracuse resident, sang a rendition of Puerto Rico’s national anthem with the territory’s flag draped over his shoulders. Several people started to cry as Perez sang. Some of Perez’s family members live in Camuy, a town on Puerto Rico’s northern coastline.

“(Camuy) Being mountainous, people are struggling to get to urban areas where food and water are more prevalent at the moment,” he said.

Many vigil attendees said they were upset with President Donald Trump’s response to the devastation in Puerto Rico. 

“It affects me,” said Laura Cañuelas, a first-year Ph.D. student studying communications. “That’s the place I grew up in. That’s the place I love.”

At the end of the vigil, SU’s Hendricks Chapel Choir sang “Hallelujah” to honor people affected by the natural disasters. Cañuelas said it was great to see students supporting one another.

“In times of distress, it shows the strength of our community to come together,” Montesdeoca said.

Published on October 20, 2017 at 2:04 am

Contact Jonathan: jnchau@syr.edu